The First Full Week of the New Year Is… A Lot

The First Full Week of the New Year Is… A Lot

(And No, You’re Not Doing It Wrong)

If you’re reading this thinking,
“Why am I already exhausted?”
“Why don’t I feel excited?”
“Wasn’t I supposed to be motivated by now?”

Welcome. You’re in extremely good company.

That first full week of the new year has a special kind of discombobulation to it. The holidays are officially over, the emails are back, routines are supposed to be “on,” and suddenly January feels less like a fresh start and more like being shoved onto a moving treadmill.

And yet—your nervous system didn’t get the memo.

The Energy Hangover No One Warned You About

Here’s what’s actually happening:

• You just came out of a season that disrupted your schedule, sleep, food, and emotional bandwidth.

• Your body and brain are still recalibrating.

• And now, the world is yelling “LET’S GO!” while your insides are whispering, “Can we… not?”

That gap? That’s where the exhaustion lives.

Not because you’re unmotivated.
Not because you “did January wrong.”
But because transitions—especially collective ones—cost energy.

Enter: The Shoulds

This is usually the week the shoulds show up uninvited.

I should be more excited.
I should feel clearer by now.
I should already be in a groove.
I should have more discipline.

And before you know it, your brain starts running questions on a loop:

• What’s wrong with me?

• Why don’t I feel different?

• Did I miss my chance to “start right”?

Spoiler: you didn’t.

But the mind loves certainty, and early January offers very little of it. So it fills the gap with pressure.

Lack of Excitement Doesn’t Mean Lack of Direction

This part matters, so read it twice if needed:

Not feeling excited does not mean you’re on the wrong path.

Sometimes it means:

• You’re still landing.

• You’re integrating.

• You’re tired in a way rest—not reinvention—will fix.

Excitement is a terrible metric for alignment in the first week of January. It’s loud, it’s performative, and it ignores the reality of being human.

A Gentler Reframe for This Week

Instead of asking, “Why am I not more energized?”
Try asking:

• What does my system need as it re-enters routine?

• Where can I lower the bar without quitting?

• What would “enough” look like this week?

Progress right now might look like:

• Showing up without overhauling everything.

• Choosing consistency over intensity.

• Letting clarity arrive slowly instead of forcing it.

Not sexy. Very effective.

You’re Not Behind—You’re Recalibrating

The first full week of the year isn’t a launchpad.
It’s a re-entry.

And re-entries are messy, awkward, and a little exhausting—by design.

So if you feel discombobulated, underwhelmed, or quietly questioning everything… congratulations. You’re doing January like a real human.

Take a breath.
Loosen the shoulds.
Let the year meet you where you actually are.

Momentum will come.
Right now, awareness is enough.

And honestly? That’s a pretty solid way to start.